Photos and review by Amanda Torres
Truthfully, I don’t think I’ve heard any of Tove Lo’s songs since ‘Habits’, ‘Talking Body’, or ‘Heat’. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see how packed the Greek was on this particular Sunday night. I was truly shocked by how much I enjoyed the concert and the songs she performed, and listening to the raw and feminine, female-empowered tracks for the first time live.
Tove Lo took charge of the iconic Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Her performance was unrelenting from the start. She threw herself fully into each song, whipping her hair in circles and pounding her fist into the platform, just completely letting loose on stage and moving to the rhythm of each song. Each track she performed was equally exuberant, emotionally honest, and just flat out blatantly feminine.
This tour is in support of her sixth studio album, ESTRUS, which was released this September. The album is an examination of the human condition, resilience, individuality, and the all emotional turbulence that comes with maturing into new chapters of adulthood and those themes carried over to the stage. Tove Lo used her body movement, graphics, and her engagement with the audience to embody the album itself, rather than just delivering its songs. The concert itself was fundamentally a celebration of sexuality, womanhood, self-assurance, accepting oneself without regret and embracing those parts of ourselves. It left us – the audience – to not only be in awe of Tove Lo’s ability to combine intense dance-pop energy with emotionally vulnerable songwriting but also to create a dynamic and captivating performance.
Something I also really enjoyed about Tove Lo’s show was her opener. The singer had Australian Brisbane-born musician Mallrat open her show. This was my first time hearing Mallrats’ music, and I was also pleasantly surprised to see how much I enjoyed the Australian pop star. Her dance/electronic genre meshed well with Tove Lo; she was a perfect opener to help you get into the night’s show. She also performed a cover of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Radio’, showing off her stunning vocals.
Overall, I don’t think I could have enjoyed Tove Lo’s show more than witnessing firsthand the chaos directly from the barricade. Nearly everyone in my immediate vicinity was singing along to every word, people dancing, and fans just trembling with anticipation. As for the production design of the show, there were so many visual elements that helped captivate the audience. One of the best moments was when Tove Lo lay across a table with her legs spread out in a V shape, and a projection appeared in the gap between them when she was performing her song ‘Heat’. With that being said, Tove Lo’s performance at the Greek Theater was utterly unapologetic, passionate, and totally her as an artist, which is exactly the kind of performance that serves her popularity and what makes her such a talented artist.
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